The HRTPO Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a financially-constrained, multi-year program for the implementation of surface transportation projects within the Hampton Roads metropolitan planning area (MPA).  In conjunction with the FY 2012-2015 TIP, approved by the HRTPO Board in June 2011, HRTPO staff launched a website to provide easier access to TIP data, as well as employ visualization techniques in the form of an interactive regional map.  The TIP website was revised and updated in July 2014 in conjunction with HRTPO Board approval of the FY 2015-2018 TIP.

In an effort to significantly improve the TIP Website, HRTPO staff converted the interactive regional map to a different mapping platform and, with the assistance of a website design and development firm, developed an advanced project information search tool.

The old Interactive Project Map allowed the user to zoom in to see more detail and click on one of the orange signs or green lines to obtain project information.  In addition, if the user knew a project’s Universal Project Code (UPC) number, the number could be typed into UPC box to search for project information.  The UPC search was the only search function available on the TIP Website before the upgrade.

Old Interactive Map

As before, the new Interactive Project Map allows the user to zoom in to see more detail, but that is where the similarities end.  Localities are depicted in different colors to make it easier to determine the locality in which specific projects lie.  The user may select from a set of different base maps, including aerial imagery and topographic maps.  Clicking on a project (point or line) now brings up summary information for a project.  If several projects are close together, clicking on a point or line will bring up summary information for multiple projects, from which the user can select the project of interest.  The summary information also provides a direct link to the complete TIP information for the project.

New Interactive Map

Perhaps the most powerful new feature of the HRTPO TIP Website is the advanced project information search tool.  As shown in the screenshot below, the user may still search by UPC number, but now may also search by project name, street name, route number, project description, system, project scope, and jurisdiction.  Searches may also be nested – for example, for a short list of the interstate projects in the Norfolk, the user would check the Interstate box under System and the Norfolk box under Jurisdiction.

The new HRTPO TIP Website (www.hrtpotip.org) was deployed on January 26, 2016.